The play's the thing: Comic conventions allow for creativity, connection and camaraderie

I met someone at the Malta Comic Con who said to me, “You are extremely cheery for the beginning of the morning. You must have had your coffee.” And yes, I had had my fair share of coffee, but that wasn’t the reason why I was cheery. The thing about comic conventions in general is that they allow me to indulge in a side of myself that I too often hide, and they surround me with some of the most creative people in the world. Whether it is the actors and artists or the cosplayers and attendees, people at any of the comic cons are there to have fun, learn about their favorite fandoms and geek out (or nerd out) about whatever it is that brings them joy. That is the reason why I was so happy, energetic and enthused. Much like going to Disneyland, comic conventions provide an atmosphere infused with the joy of people who are doing what they love and who are willing to share that love with others. There is a camaraderie that can’t be found in many other places because the element of play is so strong within everyone attending. It is the element of play that our society so sorely lacks. People are seriously in debt. They are seriously alone. They are seriously hurt. There is no describing the amount of seriousness that goes into being adults, and we help our children squash out their play. Unfortunately, play is the only way that we will ever be able to save the world. Play takes creativity. It takes cooperation, and it takes compromise. When we choose to be serious and find ourselves in places where play is looked down upon, we do ourselves the disservice of covering up humankind’s true nature – we are the creators of ourselves, our perceptions and our world. How much better is that world when we allow ourselves to sing, dance, love and even play for the sake of playing?